Ohio bans bettor accused of threatening Blue Jays manager

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has banned bettor Blake Morgan from the state's legal gambling market over an alleged threat against Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider. In a vote on October 21, the commissioners placed Morgan, a resident of Thornville, on the Sports Betting Mandatory Exclusion List. The decision bars Morgan from gambling at licensed facilities and from taking part in regulated online sports betting in Ohio.

The case is based on a phone call to Major League Baseball (MLB) customer service during Game 4 of the 2025 World Series between Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers, around October 28, 2025. Investigators attributed the call, which lasted about 14 minutes, to Morgan.

The dispute stemmed from the tactic used against Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. In Game 3, Toronto intentionally walked Ohtani four times. Schneider said he considered doing the same in Game 4, but he let his pitcher face Ohtani. The caller argued that the manager had misled bettors about his intentions. The caller also claimed that bettors had placed heavy wagers expecting Ohtani to be walked.

According to records obtained during the investigation, the caller threatened Schneider with physical violence and said he had Schneider's home address and personal information. MLB security officials traced the call to Morgan and contacted him. Morgan denies making a threat. He said he appealed after the notice the commission sent in March.